Poland has unveiled plans to significantly expand its annual 155mm artillery shell production from about 30,000 units to 180,000 by 2027 — a sixfold increase. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the initiative during a visit to Nitro-Chem, a leading European TNT supplier, emphasizing the goal of fully meeting national military needs and reducing dependence on foreign sources.
The expansion comes as part of investments by the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) to boost production capacity across four state-owned firms. Nitro-Chem alone will receive $31.2 million to acquire advanced technological lines. Tusk noted that in 2023, Poland produced only 5,000 155mm shells annually, highlighting the dramatic scale of the planned growth.
Given its position bordering Ukraine, Poland sees the ramp-up as vital to supporting its own defense and that of its allies amid ongoing hostilities between Kyiv and Moscow. The 155mm caliber, NATO’s standard artillery round, is also extensively used by Ukraine through Western military aid, offering superior range and accuracy over Soviet-era 152mm shells.
